Sir Bobby Robson's legacy five years after his death

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Five years on from the death of Sir Bobby Robson, his widow Elsie has said he would be "astonished" at the legacy he had left.

The former England, Ipswich and Newcastle United manager died on 31 July 2009, aged 76, after his fifth battle against cancer.

In 2008 he set up the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, a cancer research charity.

Lady Robson said she was "extremely proud" of the foundation, which has raised £7.3m in the six years since.

Sir Bobby called the charity his "last and greatest team". He set it up after his oncologist Prof Ruth Plummer told him she needed to raise £500,000 for a new cancer drug trials centre at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

Sir Bobby won the FA Cup with Ipswich in 1978, followed by the Uefa Cup in 1981. He took England to a World Cup semi-final in 1990, still the country's best finish since 1966.

'Shared him'

After a spell managing abroad, he took over a struggling Newcastle in 1999 and brought them Champions League football with top-four finishes in 2002 and 2003.

Lady Robson said: "We learned a long time ago to share him in life and we sort of shared him in death as well. It was difficult, very difficult for us all, for the family especially, and I suppose you just get through it.

"The public responded in such a compassionate way and I think it was something they needed as well at that time. It was wonderful to go and see the spread of flowers and tributes and memorabilia left at St James' Park."

She said his charity had "inspired him". "People say to me that the charity's just going to go on and on and I really believe that," she said. I can't see it coming to an end. Can you? I hope not."

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